Rifle and machine-gun



T K. NORTH, DECD. F. K. IIoIITH,'ADMINIsTRAToII. RIFLE AND MACHINE GUN. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I3, 1919.

1,363,262 Patented Dec. 28, 1920. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

T. K. NORTH. DECD.

F. K. NORTH, ADMINISTRATOR.

RIFLE AND MAcH'mE GUN.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I3, 1919.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

im MW, nomi,

www @Kama/U M, M,

ifmwziwm may@ , THOMAS KEPPEL NORTH,

DECEASED, BY FREDERICK KEPPEL NORTH, ADMINIS-- TRATR, OF SWAFFHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIG-NOR T0 VICKERS LIMITED, 0F

WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

:RIFLE` AND MACHINE-GUN.

Application filed .Tune 13,

To all whom t may concern.' j

Be it known that THOMAS KEPPEL NORTH, deceased, late a subject of the Kin of-Great Britain, whose administrator is BEDERICK KEPPEL NORTH, a subject of the/King of Great Britain, residing at Rough am, Swaifham, in the .county of Norfolk, Engand, did invent new and useful Improveents in or Relating to Rifles and Machine- Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rifles and machine guns (particularly to automatic or self-loading rifles of the gas operated type) of the kind in which the barrel is made readily detachable from the weapon; the chief objectfof the invention is to make provision for the replacement ofl one barrel by another in a simpler and more Vexpeditious manner than heretofore.

According to the invention improved means are provided whereby after a locking device has been displaced to its unlocking position, the barrel is free to be detached by a tilting movement e. g. by a movement of the muzzle end of the barrel in an 'upward direction, these means comprising a tooth or projection which is formed on the rear part of the barrel transversely'to its axis and fits into a recess in the part to which the barre-l is to be attached, in such a manner as to hold thebarrel against forward and rearward movements. For this purpose the breech end of 'the b arrel may be formed with a recess'to provide atthe rear part of the breechend the aforesaid tooth which is preferably of wedge shape and is adapted to lit in a correspondingly shaped recess formed in the wall of the body of the weapon. The said locking device is preferably in the form of a transversely arranged pin which is rotatably mounted in the body of the weapon and is formed with a cut-away portion which, when the pin is suitably adjusted, allows the barrel to be moved as aforesaid.

In order that/the said invention may-be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect the same/will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which j igures l, 2 and 3v are sectional side ele- Speciication of Letters Patent.

1919. Serial No. 304,056.

vations of a weapon constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 1 showing the locking device for the ybarrel in the position in which the barrel is locked to the body of the weapon, 'f ig. 2 Showing the said device in the unlocked position in which the barrel can be detached from-"the body and Fig. 3 showing the barrel lin a position occupied by vitduring the detach- 111g operatlon.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken proximately through the locking device Fig.. 2 and drawn to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 shows the locking means on an enlarged scale, and Fig. 6 shows how the locking pin when in the unlocking position prevents the piston of the gas operated cylinder from reaching the tiring position;

yA ist-he body of the weapon and D is the barrel whose rear or breech end is made of generally rectangular shape in cross section as is shown in Fig. 4. b is the recess inthe upper surface of the breech end of the barrel and b is the wedge shaped tooth situated to' Patented Dec. 28, i920.

the rear of this recess and adapted to fit in a l b thereon-and therecess b therein come clear -of the body and the barrel can then 'be removed or allowed to fall out. This displacement of the barrel can be effected by simply pressing it on the ground so that it is unnecessary to touch the hot barrel with the hand. The rear u'nder part of the breech end of the barrel isV formed with an inclined surface b2 to enable the above mentioned displacement of the barrel to occur.

C is the aforesaidv locking device which in the example shown takes the form of a transrecess a (Fig. 3)

Figs. 1 and 2 thatl when the barrel is in position, the'tooth b.

versely arranged p'in' rotatably mounted in the body of the weapon and adapted to engage with a part-cylindrical recess b3 in the under side of the breech end of the barrel. This pin is cut away asshown in the drawings so that on rotating, it from the locking.

the locked position shown by chain lines in position shown by Fig. 1 into the unlocking position shown by Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the pin comes completely clear of the barrel, that is to say, the cut away portion of the pin then lies opposite the breech end of the barrel and the barrel can'therefore be dis laced into theposition shown by Fia. 3. T e ,pin C is provided with a handle which is heid Vin Fig. 4 or in the unlocked position shown by full lines in the same figure, by a rounded projection c on the handle engaging in one or the other of'two curved depressions in the body of the weapon, the handle providing the necessary resiliency to hold the handle in either of its positions.

Although in the example shown the arrangement is such that the barrel can be detached from the body of the weapon by an upward displacement, the arrangement mi ht be so modified as to enable the barrel to be detached by a sidewise movement or by a downward movement as may be found convenient.

In the example shownl the weapon is of the gas operated type and the gas operating mechanism comprises a gas vent ring D attached to the barrel and a' piston guide tube or g'as cylinder D connectedito a hand-guard D2. The forward end of this cylinder fits within a recess in the ring D and before the barrel is displaced as aforesaid to remove it the handguard D2 is operated to slide the c linder backward so as to disengage it from t e said ring. The aforesaid locking pin Cy has a recess CX which is so formed as to permit the backward motion of the cylinder to occur when the pin occupies the unlocked position for enabling the barrel to be angularly displaced for removal. Figs. 2 and 3 show the cylinder D slid back as'stated. When the pin C is in the locked position shown by 'Fig ll a rounded portion thereof bears against the end of the cylinder to lock it in the forward position in engagement with the aforesaid ring. The pin C is also so constructed and disposed that when it is turned into the position shown by Figs. 2, 3 and 4 'the rounded surface forms an obstruction to a shoulder e on the piston rod E and so reduces the forward travel of the piston working in this cylinder, thereby not allowing the full action of the mechanism to occur and consequently preventing the gun from being fired unless the barrel is fully locked to the body. When the pin. C is turned into the locked position shown by Fig. 1, its cut away portion occupies the position shown in this figure so as to allow room for the piston to pass and complete its forward stroke.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a rifie or machine gun having a detachable barrel which is removed by a tilting movement, the provision of a co-acting transverse projection and recess between the barrel and the part to which it is detachably connected, for holding the barrel in positlon against forward and rearward .movements relativel to said part, the barments, the barrel tilting about a fulcrum constituted by art of the body immediately in front of said) recess.

3. In a. rifle or machine gun, the combination with the body thereof, ofv a detachable barrel which is removed from the body by a tilting movement, a wedge-sha ed projection arranged on the rear part oi) the barrel transversely to the axisthereof and a correspondingly shaped recess in the body in which recess said projection fits to hold the barrel against forward and rearward movements, the barrel tilting about a fulcrum constituted by part of thebody immediately in front of said recess.

4. In a rifle or machine gun, the combination with the body thereof, of a detachable barrel which is removed from the body by a tilting movement, a recess formed in the rear part of the barrel to provide a projection disposed transversely to the axis of the barrel and a recess in the body in which latter recess said projection fits to hold the barrel against forward and rearward movements, the barrel tilting about a fulcrum constituted by the part of the body fitting in said recess in the barrel.

5. In a rifle or, machine gun, the combination withl the elements claimed in claim 1,

of a transversely arranged pin adapted to engage in a recess in the barrel to lock the latter in position and formed with a gap to allow the barrel to be removed when required, and means for rotating the pin to and from its locking position.

6. In a gas operated rifle or machine gun havlng aydetachable barrel which is removed by a tilting movement, the combination with the gas cylinder andthe part of the barrel in which this cylinder normally engages, of adjustable means for locking the barrel 1n osition and unlocking it as required, sai means when in the locking position preventing the cylinder from being disengaged 'from said part of the barrel.

7 In a gas operated riiie or machine gun having a detachable barrel which is 'remesme positionpreventing the cylinder from being disengaged from said part of the barrel.

8. n a gas operated rifle or machine gun y having a detachable barrel which is removed by a tilting movement, the combination with the gas cylinder, of adjustable means for locking the barrel in position and unlockin it as required, said means when in the` un ocking position forming an obstruction at the rear part of said cylinder tol restrict the forward movement of the piston rod of the gas operated cylinder and thereby prevent the weapon from being iired.

9. In a gas operated rifle or machine gun having a detachable barrel which is removed by a tllting movement, the combination with .the gas cylinder, of a rotary pin arranged transversely to the axis of the barrel for.

locking the barrel in position and unlocking it as required, said pin whenin the unlocking position forming an obstruction at the rear part of said cylinder to restrict the forward movement-ofthe piston rod of the gas operated cylinder and thereby pre- -vent the weapon from beingred.

l0. In a gas operated rifle or machine gun, the combination with the body thereof and a detachable barrel, of a socket in said body in which the rear end of the barrel fits, and means for permitting said barrel to be placed in position-and held in said socket against longitudinal movement and to be completely detached therefrom merely -by a tilting movement of said barrel.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signa# ture.

FREDERICK KEPPEL NORTH,

Administrator f ,sa/d Thomas Keppel N orth, decease 

